Fire risk assessments
Applying the recommendations of a fire risk assessment
After identifying fire risks, they should be assessed, prioritised and managed. Hazards can range from low to high risk.
The responsible person must consider and act on the fire risk assessment’s recommendations, evaluating the likelihood and seriousness of harm in communal and external areas.
High risks should be addressed first, while lower risks still require careful consideration.
The local fire and rescue authority has the power to inspect buildings and enforce fire safety rules.
Costs of a fire risk assessment
Paying for the fire risk assessment
The cost of carrying out a fire risk assessment is usually charged to leaseholders through the service charge – check your lease if you are unsure.
Paying for the work needed after a fire risk assessment
The cost of maintaining fire safety measures and equipment can usually be charged to you through your service charge. The measures and the costs must be reasonable and proportionate to what’s needed for your building.
Your lease may not refer specifically to fire risk assessments or fire safety work, but other clauses may allow a landlord to recover costs for carrying out the recommendations from a fire risk assessment from you.
Some leases include a ‘sweeping‑up clause’: it allows your landlord to charge for reasonable, unanticipated expenses connected with the building. A sweeping up clause might be: “any other costs and expenses reasonably incurred in connection with the building”.
Find out when you’re able to challenge an unreasonable service charge for a leasehold property, and how to do it.
If work is needed that will cost any one leaseholder more than £250 (including VAT), you must be consulted through the Section 20 process.
Historic defects
If the fire risk assessment shows that a ‘historic defect’ (sometimes called a relevant defect) needs to be remedied, then you may be protected from having to pay the full cost.
Find out more about the leaseholder protections.
If you are not covered by these protections or you’re unsure, check the terms of your lease. Who pays will depend on how the terms of your lease are interpreted.
Find out more
- Last updated:
- 21 April 2026
- Next review:
- 21 April 2027
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